September release for the Wii?

Are wii in business? An industry analyst has suggested that as of June 21, the Wii started final production. This puts the Wii way ahead of its rival Sony, whose PS3 doesn't even have final schematics yet.

The bigger news is how early this is compared to the suggested November 17th launch date. It actually appears that the console may be moving to an earlier release, which would be more in line with its previous releases. For example, the Nintendo 64 launched (in the US) on Sept. 29, 1996. The original NES? October 18, 1985. My bet is on an early October release for the Wii, though rumour has said even a late September result could be possible.

Nintendo, of course, are downplaying (read: not denying) this.

Even with the earliest launch of September, Nintendo should have plenty of units for a worldwide launch thanks to such an early starting date. Coupled with the fact that Ninty has also promised their games will be cheaper than the XBox 360's $60.00 each, it's not hard to forsee a massive amount of sales leading into the holidays.

By getting production started early, it should also mean no shortage of consoles for the busy Christmas period.

Got a thought on the upcoming (early) release? Drop it in our forums. Wii'd appreciate it.